Road Lines

We have all been there at some point...on a two lane road separated by a thin painted line...in a row of traffic...when some guy decides things aren't going fast enough for him. So, despite a solid line (which we all know means no passing) this guy juts out into oncoming traffic in a mad ditch attempt to pass the whole line of traffic, when he realizes what everyone ahead of him has already noticed...the semi-truck heading in the other direction! Someone inevitably has to slam on the brakes and veer in order to create enough space for the impatient guy to squeeze back in at the last minute, narrowly avoiding becoming a hood ornament on the semi! When everyone finally catches their breath they all have the same collective thought (after a few choice words perhaps)...the lines are their for a reason buddy!
I had not realized until recently that road lines were only invented in 1930, by a Canadian engineer and were first used on a small stretch of highway near the Ontario/Quebec border. Can you imagine what traffic would be like today without them? Chaos! I am pretty thankful that they exist. They bring some semblance of organization and order to the mass of traffic on the highways and allow thousands of us to use the roads quickly, and for the most part, safely.
I find myself thinking about Christianity, and the way so many outside the faith see it as only rules and regulations leading to a life that is so limited and stuffy. I think that in response to this misunderstanding I would suggest that rules and regulations are not what following Jesus is primary about. Becoming a follower of Jesus actually begins by recognizing that our sin has separated us from God but that there is no set of rules that we could follow that could somehow make us good enough to bring us back into relationship with God. It means recognizing that we need a Saviour, not rules. I would characterize my faith more as a relationship with Jesus than a religion of rules. There are certainly regulations, standards and principles that come along with faith, but I hope that in my own life they are in response to my relationship. I long to glorify God with my life, and although I get it wrong a lot, I do try to follow the standards I find in scripture to please Him. I also believe that as creator of the universe including the creator of human relationships, that God has a clearer understanding of what is healthy and safe. Here is where the analogy of rode lines comes in. Road lines give us some direction, and following them means limiting our freedom a bit. But what they allow us to do is to enjoy the benefits of the road safely. I see many of the things that God asks of us in a similar way. By giving us direction and standards God has provided a way for us to enjoy the fullness of life without many of the pitfalls, traps, dangers, heartbreaks and tragedies that come from ignoring His safeguards. There is no promise of a life without trouble and hardship and we do live in a fallen world. There is no guarantee that someone else who is ignoring the lines on the road will not affect me in some way. I can, however, try not to add to the problem by doing my best to follow the lines myself. God's principles provide some lines on the road of life to help direct us and keep us safe as we live life the way in which the chief architecht intended it to be lived.